Final Fantasy 9, 17 years later
by JD The Dragon Thomas
Summary: The Quest of Zidane's son
1. Default Chapter

I am Jd "The Dragon" Thomas  
  
And this is my fic of Final Fantasy 9, there may be flaws, but there hopefully won't be.  
  
********************  
  
Final Fantasy 9  
  
17 years later.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
They lay still in bed, asleep, a Queen, and a former thief.  
  
It had been seventeen years since they had fought a true monster.  
  
And seventeen years since they had seen Eiko, Amarant, and Vivi.  
  
They had seen the others since than though: Steiner stayed as Garnet's guard when she became Queen, although he was fifty by this time. The thirty-eight year-old Freya stayed in Alexandria and became a dragon knight there, and swore to protect them no matter what the cost. Quina still lived as well, and lived in Alexandria as a cook.  
  
It was early in the morning and the two were still in bed.  
  
They were thirty-three by this time, and had one child, a son.  
  
His name was Baku, having been named after Zidane's dead former boss.  
  
Zidane's other thief friends still lived though, having been not much older than Zidane.  
  
Blanc, Marcus and Cinna all lived in Lindblum, with their families.  
  
Blanc had a wife and daughter: His wife was some girl he picked up named Sapphire and his daughter was named Dagger, in remembrance of Garnet's nickname (author's note: he was told the story later)  
  
Marcus lived alone with his wife Ruby, the girl that made a mini-theater.  
  
Cinna did not have a wife, but lived as a thief still, because he could never get a girl.  
  
Baku Tribal Til Alexandros 18th, Zidane's son, was fourteen, and looked much like his father.  
  
He had the same hair, and shape.  
  
His face was like his father's, but he had nearly Jade eyes: Jagged, bright green, and shining.  
  
He liked to wear a bandana like the one that his uncle Marcus wore, and virtually all of what Zidane had worn when he was on his journey.  
  
Dagger, Blanc's daughter, was also fourteen, and she was beautiful.  
  
She had long brown hair, creamy brown eyes the color of honey, and a large smile.  
  
She never wore a dress, and usually wore similar clothing to what Garnet wore on her journey.  
  
She was trained to fight by her father, Blanc, and had great skills.  
  
Baku had also been trained to fight, but by many trainers: Swordsmanship from his Uncle Steiner, Dragon skills from his Aunt Freya, Blue magic from his Uncle Quina, Thief skills from his father, Summoning and white magic from his mother, and Black magic from his Uncle Vivi whom he only saw in secret.  
  
(author's note: Hopefully by now you've figured out that when I say Uncle I mean honorary Uncle, because that is just what they call each other, they are not truly related.)  
  
Zidane arose from his bed and silently got dressed, being sure not to wake his wife: Garnet.  
  
He stepped out the door of the royal chambers and passed the knights who guarded them.  
  
Female Warrior of Alexandria: "Off to your daily training sir?"  
  
Zidane stayed silent, but nodded his head and walked in the direction of his son's chambers.  
  
Zidane was still drowsy, and so he got lost.  
  
Zidane yawned again as he walked down a hall, and passed the chambers of the Knights of Pluto.  
  
The Knights were not the same people as they were seventeen years ago, except for Steiner.  
  
They were the old guys' children.  
  
Steiner never had a son, so he stayed as a knight himself.  
  
Zidane finally, truly aroused himself and ran to his son's chambers.  
  
By the time he got there, Baku was gone.  
  
Zidane knew where Baku had gone; it was where the Prince always went in the morning, for Zidane could never awaken.  
  
Zidane went outside and down to the market.  
  
He walked down to the sparring grounds, and began to watch his son defeat other fighters.  
  
Freya: "So Zidane. You finally decided to get out of bed?"  
  
Zidane: "Well, Freya. You know me, go to bed early, fall asleep late, wake up even later."  
  
Freya chuckled: "Well, I wander what you do after you go to bed.."  
  
Zidane: "ummmm.. Well, HAHA! Baku won again!"  
  
Freya knew why Zidane had changed the subject, and she laughed.  
  
Baku left the sparring arena and put down his training sword.  
  
Baku: "Hey Dad! Can I go out and fight some real monsters today?"  
  
Zidane: "I have tpld you every day since you were five, when you are strong enough, and have a real weapon."  
  
Baku: "OH! Come on! I can practically beat Aunt Freya in a duel, and I can use almost any weapon."  
  
Zidane: "I know you can use a sword, a dagger, a polearm, a rod, and magic, but I want to make sure you have a great weapon of expertise." Baku and Zidane always had this argument, and so Baku gave up and walked over to a nearby shop, as he always did.  
  
Freya: "Zidane, you know how much he wants to actually fight, and you know as well as I do, that by the time you were his age you were an excellent thief who fought all of the time."  
  
Zidane: Sigh, "I know, but I want him to have a real weapon and to know my other friends, who he will meet as soon as my messengers return."  
  
At that moment, the gates burst open and a severely injured man came through, on a horse.  
  
Zidane: "One of my runners!"  
  
Zidane and Freya ram to the horse, grabbed the man and rushed him to the healing ward.  
  
Two boys took the horse, so that they could clean him, and make sure he was not wounded.  
  
The man was not very old, only about twenty-eight.  
  
His right arm was broken in five places, his left arm hung by a thread, his kneecaps were nearly gone, and his shins had knives sticking through them.  
  
Garnet and two of her handmaidens came in.  
  
Garnet: "This will take a lot of energy. He's really battered."  
  
Garnet and her handmaidens began casting cure spells.  
  
The young man perked up.  
  
One handmaiden ran out of energy, and sat down.  
  
The other handmaiden ran out of energy, and Garnet stopped.  
  
Garnet: "That should do it."  
  
The man was fully healed, but tired.  
  
Zidane: "So, what happened? How are you so hurt? And didn't I send you to get Eiko?"  
  
The Man: "Yes sir, I went to get Eiko, but I was charging on my horse and a big monster attacked, I beat it with my lance, but my lance was lost in the process, and my arm broken. When I got near to Eiko, something hit me hard, nearly chopping off my arm. I passed out and woke up here, maybe the horse instinctively came home."  
  
Zidane: "Yeah, one of my best lancers, saved by his horse. Sounds good."  
  
Garnet: "Yes, that's all good, but what was it that attacked you?"  
  
The man was already fast asleep.  
  
They all heard a voice outside the palace, in the town: "Sister! Sister! Garnet! Where are you!?"  
  
Garnet: "Eiko?"  
  
They all ran to the window to see the twenty-three year old Eiko.  
  
Eiko: "Hey! What are you doing up there? Are you hiding from me?"  
  
Garnet: laughs "I'll be right down!"  
  
Everybody went down to the town.  
  
Everybody hugged Eiko, and began talking.  
  
Garnet: "Let's not stay here, let's go talk inside."  
  
Eiko: "Oh! Well, as much as I would like to stay and catch up with everybody. I just came to make sure that runner was alright. I saw him get attacked, and I sent his horse in the direction it was coming from."  
  
Zidane: "So it was you? We sent him to get you, so I guess it worked anyway."  
  
Eiko: "Oh! Why did you want me hear?"  
  
Garnet: " Well, our son's birthday is coming up soon, and we want him to meet everybody, and we should have a reunion."  
  
Eiko: "OK, I guess I'll stay."  
  
Zidane: "Good. Steiner, Freya, and Quina live here. We still need to get Vivi and Amarant."  
  
Baku: "I can help! I don't think you know where Uncle Vivi lives! I do- Dang! I wasn't s'posed ta tell you that!"  
  
Zidane turned to look at his son and went into a mock pose.  
  
Zidane: "No, I didn't know where Vivi lives, I also didn't know that you had been visiting him."  
  
Garnet: "When did you see Vivi? He must live close."  
  
Baku: "Yeah, he lives close." Sigh  
  
Zidane: " Well, that runner will come back soon, I told them not to search for more than two weeks, since that was all the provisions I gave them."  
  
Garnet: "Now, show us to Vivi, Baku."  
  
Baku led them towards the gates, where they expected to leave, but just before they went through, Baku turned left.  
  
Zidane: "Where are you going? We're still in the kingdom."  
  
Baku still walked, more cheerfully noe that he had fooled his father.  
  
Baku: "I know Dad. He lives in the kingdom."  
  
Zidane: "WHAT!? Than why hasn't he talked to anyone? Or come out for your birthdays?"  
  
Baku: "We have celebrated my birthdays alone, and he knows everything that's going on. Including that you are trying to find him. You will need to catch up. He will not."  
  
Baku, Eiko, Garnet, and Zidane continued walking until they came to a small closed building by all the shops.  
  
Baku: "I've come to deliver the milk you ordered. Brought some exra incase you wanted it."  
  
They heard a sigh from the inside and a small voice: "We need to talk. Come in, come in."  
  
Baku motioned for all of them to enter. Baku lifted a piece of wood and they entered.  
  
When they got inside they could tell it was Vivi's place.  
  
The room was covered with silly little trinkets: a globe, a lantern, and many silly little things that Vivi would collect, plus a full card archive.  
  
A figure about the size of Baku in a big cloak waddled up to them.  
  
Vivi put down the cloak, so they could see him: "Hello, everyone. I know everything that is going on as you ave probably been told."  
  
Zidane: "Why have you stayed in seclusion? I mean, I haven't seen you for seventeen years and you have been living in my own kingdom."  
  
Vivi: "Yes, well, I wanted to live like this, with my toys and things, but I was always watching and I saw your boy, training and all. I thought he deserved to learn black magic, and a good weapon, so I helped him."  
  
Baku: "Yeah, every year, on my birthday, since I was eight, Uncle Vivi has given me a different weapon and a couple of cards from his archive that we left there, just labeled: Baku's."  
  
Zidane: "Weapons? Where are they?"  
  
Baku looked at Vivi, and he nodded, so bake led them to the back room, which was almost as full of weapons as Alexandria's armory.  
  
Eiko: "WOW! Vivi you must be rich!"  
  
Vivi: "I made them all myself."  
  
Garnet: "Well, good job! Which one's are Baku's?  
  
Baku pointed to one wall, where seven weapons lay: A katana, A buster sword, A steel rod, Two duel dagger blades, A wooden staff, A spear, and a double-sided blade.  
  
Zidane and Garnet stared.  
  
Eiko: "So, Baku. Can you use any of these weapons?"  
  
Baku: "Yup! I want to make a great weapon, but I just can't decide."  
  
Zidane was picking up the daggers: "Nice!"  
  
Garnet picked up the rod: "Good."  
  
Vivi: "Baku, I can make you any weapon, just think of one."  
  
Baku: "I know. I know. I just can't decide."  
  
Vivi: "On your fifteenth birthday I will give you a great weapon. Whether or not you choose."  
  
Baku: "My birthday is in a month, you can't be giving me a great weapon unless you already started."  
  
Vivi: "That's my secret"  
  
Baku: "So, it doesn't matter what I say. You already started."  
  
Vivi: "I have watched over you all of your life. Trust me, you'll like it." 


	2. Chapter two

I am JD "The Dragon" Thomas I hope you liked the first one, and this one, please tell me if it's good.  
  
******************  
  
Final Fantasy 9  
  
17 years later.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
It was early morning, very early morning.  
  
The Sun was not even out yet, and most was quiet.  
  
The day had come, Baku's birthday.  
  
Everyone in the town of Alexandria was fast asleep, except for one black mage.  
  
Vivi was up at two in the morning working on a great weapon.  
  
He had stayed up all night to finish the final adjustments, and things that e couldn't have done earlier.  
  
For one thing, he had to make it look nice and shiny, so it looked brand new.  
  
He knew staying up might have repercussions But he would try and stay awake. Vivi's Ultimate Weapon was complete, Baku would love it, and so Vivi went off to bed, knowing full well that he would be up again in a few hours.  
  
A shadow leapt over the gates, and began silently creeping about Alexandria, without anyone noticing him.  
  
At the Castle, a few more were awake, the guards for instance, who did not see the shadowy figure go past them.  
  
A few hours after Vivi went to sleep, at about six, Quina and the cooks were awakening to begin the Birthday Breakfast.  
  
No one could see the figure go past him or her, and towards the Prince's chambers.  
  
Baku had taken a long time to fall asleep, but he did and now was fast asleep, when the one who had snuck by grabbed him, and lifted him from his bed, onto the man's shoulder.  
  
Baku continued to sleep, as the assailant snuck out the same way he had snuck in.  
  
(Two hours later, at about eight)  
  
A handmaiden: "Miss, Miss, Queen Garnet, please awaken. It is your son's birthday."  
  
Garnet perked up rubbed her eyes, put on a robe, and began brushing her hair.  
  
Zidane was still asleep, because no one could awaken him, but Garnet.  
  
Garnet in a seductive voice: "Hunny, wake up, or."  
  
Zidane rushed out of bed, and got ready for breakfast.  
  
The handmaiden laughed, and exited the room.  
  
Zidane and Garnet kissed for quite a long time before getting completely ready.  
  
When they came down, everybody in the castle, and the guests were wearing simple robes, or pajamas, because that was the way things were done.  
  
Everyone would get dressed after breakfast.  
  
Zidane: "So, were's my son, the Birthday Boy?"  
  
A handmaiden rushed down the stairs, to them. The Handmaiden: "Your Majesty, the Prince is gone!"  
  
Garnet and Zidane ran up to their son's room, but the handmaiden was right, he was gone.  
  
As soon as the news was yelled all at the dining table, waiting for the birthday boy so that they could eat gasped.  
  
Vivi, Eiko, Freya, and Steiner ran to Baku's room and he was not there.  
  
Vivi: "Who could have done this? You have guards don't you?"  
  
Stainer growls: "Yes we have guards, but this guy was good."  
  
Freya: "I was on guard as well tonight, and they got passed me, there are only three people that I know of who have ever been able to do that!"  
  
Eiko: "Who might those be?"  
  
Freya: "The Prince himself, my old lover Fratley, or" snarls "Amarant, our old friend."  
  
Everyone in the room looked at each other and nodded.  
  
Garnet: "It is possible. He is the only one of our party that is not here."  
  
ZidaneL "And he is a great thief."  
  
Eiko: "I never liked that guy very much!"  
  
Vivi: "He may have good intentions, Baku always came to me in secret and I helped him."  
  
They all stared at him.  
  
Vivi: "Never mind."  
  
Everyone went downstairs.  
  
Zidane: "Everyone may eat, after eating breakfast, the old party has agreed to go find Baku."  
  
They ate quickly, and then got dressed.  
  
Zidane, Garnet, Eiko, Steiner, Freya, Quina, and Vivi all left to find Baku.  
  
Zidane: "I have taught him too well, how could he be so easily captured?"  
  
Vivi: "This brings up my point. We have taught him too well to be captured, maybe he wants to be with Amarant, because Amarant is helping him."  
  
Freya: "No. Baku may be good, but Amarant is better."  
  
Quina: "I hope my apprentices can make the meals."  
  
Everyone stops walking and glares at Quina.  
  
Quina: "Oh sorry."  
  
They continued walking, until they found tracks.  
  
Freya: "Look at this, he actually left tracks."  
  
Steiner: "Maybe he isn't as good as you thought, Miss Freya."  
  
Freya: "Wrong! He wants us to follow him."  
  
Vivi: "But we have gotten so far if he wanted us to follow him he would have left tracks sooner."  
  
Eiko: "Maybe he thinks we wouldn't get this far."  
  
FreyaL: "No, it was a test of our tracking skills, he wanted to see if we could follow him this far. And the test isn't over."  
  
A gigantic dragon came from a cliff on their left.  
  
Zidane: "Grand Dragon!"  
  
Zidane, Steiner, Vivi, and Freya jumped into fighting stances.  
  
The Grand Dragon launched itself at the party, and hit Zidane.  
  
He quickly jumped back and took his weapon: The Tower and jumped at the Grand Dragon.  
  
Freya cast Dragon's Crest, Vivi cast Firaga, Steiner cast Climhazzard, and Zidane dove in for the kill.  
  
Afterwards Garnet healed Zidane and they all took a look around.  
  
Freya jumped up to the Cliffside where the Grand Dragon had come from.  
  
She saw something, a patch of grass, stained with blood.  
  
She jumped down to the others, and had a solemn face.  
  
Garnet: "Freya, what is it?"  
  
Eiko: "Yeah, you look like you found him, dead."  
  
Freya: "Steiner! Check that dragon's body, find out if his only cut is from were we hit him."  
  
Steiner: "Surely you do not intend for me to do a biopsy upon this Grand Dragon's corpse."  
  
Freya: "Actually, that's exactly what I want you to do."  
  
Vivi: "Here, I'll lift it for you."  
  
Vivi used his powers to make the Grand Dragon's body levitate.  
  
Quina: "Hey guys! I think I found something."  
  
Everyone ran over to where Quina was, to see what he was looking at.  
  
It was a scrap of food, some fruit.  
  
Eiko: "Don't let your stomach take over Quina. Its just food."  
  
Quina: "No! It is food that does not grow here. I know the food in the area. This fruit only grows in Burmecia."  
  
Freya: "She's right, I used to eat those all the time, and I remember trading them to other kingdoms."  
  
Zidane: "So, what does it mean?"  
  
Freya: "We're going the right direction."  
  
Vivi: "Shouldn't we go to Burmecia?" That's we he was, wouldn't he go back?"  
  
Freya: "You are pretty smart Vivi, but in this scenario that is not what we do. If you were hunting a beast you would, but Amarant is smart."  
  
A voice: "Thank you."  
  
Steiner: "What was that?"  
  
Freya: "Look for a mark on the Grand Dragon, we'll handle that voice!"  
  
Steiner: "No marks!"  
  
Freya: "It is as I thought."  
  
Eiko: "Show yourself!"  
  
Vivi cast Firaga all over the valley around them, in order to blast out the assailant.  
  
The voice: "OW! Nice job!"  
  
Amarant came out clapping, his robe was torn and he was throwing it off because it was on fire.  
  
Everyone could see his scarlet hair, and green clothes, so there was no longer any doubt who it was.  
  
Garnet: "What have you done with Baku?! Our son!"  
  
Amarant: "Done with him? I have played with him, messed around with him, taught him, and trained him. It's okay come out now!"  
  
Out from the shadows a boy emerged.  
  
It was Baku, but his clothes were torn and he appeared to be different.  
  
Zidane: "I have trained you well enough. Why did you not escape from Amarant?"  
  
Baku: "Escape? Escape! Even if I wanted to run away from Uncle Amarant, escape is not the would that I would use. Uncle Amarant is nice to me, like Uncle Vivi."  
  
Amarant: "Baku, I told you not to call me Uncle Amarant, I am Amarant, or Scarlet Hair."  
  
Baku: "Look, you are Uncle Amarant to me okay."  
  
Zidane: "He is right, he doesn't deserve to be your uncle."  
  
Garnet: "Now come back home with us."  
  
Baku: "Why did you never tell me about Uncle Amarant? Or Uncle Vivi for that matter?"  
  
Freya: "They did not tell you about Amarant because they did not know where he was, and he is a miscreant!"  
  
Garnet: "You found Vivi on your own, and we did tell you about him. How he was one of our friends when we went on our journey."  
  
Baku: "That reminds me. As soon as I get my weapon, I am going on a journey of my own."  
  
Eiko: "ALONE! You must be crazy!"  
  
Garnet: "Eiko is right, do not go alone."  
  
Zidane: "Yeah! Get a party first! Like I did!"  
  
Amarant: "Shut up Zidane! Your boy is stronger than you were and will have a party. Soon."  
  
Zidane: "Thos has nothing to do with you! So stay out of it! And by the way, why did you kidnap Baku?! You seem to care so much!"  
  
Amarant: "I did not kidnap him!"  
  
Baku: "He extracted me! I will now be taking my weapon and leaving!"  
  
All of the old party looked at eachother and Amarant took from his cloak a great weapon, Vivi's Ultima Weapon.  
  
It was awesome: A six-foot blade, curved slightly, along the whole weapon. A handle in the center, and a string all along the straight side, so it could launch arrows, magic arrows, not physical ones.  
  
Amarant handed it to Baku as Vivi looked on in amazement, the man had stolen that which he had made for Baku.  
  
At least it made it to the one it was meant to get to.  
  
Baku took it by the handle and pulled back the string.  
  
They all saw as he pulled it back, a sphere of fire appeared before it.  
  
He let the string go and launched the blast, and a huge fiery explosion occurred where he aimed.  
  
All but Zvivi: "VIVI!"  
  
Vivi: "That was a fire arrow, sorry."  
  
Baku then ran off in the opposite direction, towards Lindblum.  
  
The old party leapt after him, but Amarant dashed in front of them to block their way.  
  
Amnarant: "Leave the boy alone! I am pretty sure that you all know I can take on all of you! Especially since I have continued training and all of you have become old and lazy!"  
  
Freya: "I also have a question! What was the patch of grass stained with blood back there from?"  
  
Amarant: "HA HA HA! The boy did not know me at first and when he woke up he did this!"  
  
Amarant pulled back his cloak to reveal an injury in his side from being kicked so hard that his ribs cracked and popped out the skin.  
  
They grimaced and decided to fight him, because of the injury.  
  
Amarant knew that they would.  
  
Vivi cast Blizzaga upon Amarant, but he dodged, as he did the strikes of the others.  
  
Amarant then thre a weapon, a broad sword, which hit Eko in the leg.  
  
Eiko let out a loud shriek when it hit her and Garnet came to heal her.  
  
Amarant did not want to hurt Eiko, but he knew that it was the only way he could get away to help Baku, and he knew that Garnet could heal her. 


End file.
